Château de Kinugasa, Mountain fortress in Kanagawa, Japan
Château de Kinugasa is a mountain fortress situated on Mount Kinugasa in Kanagawa with stone foundations and wooden structures built in traditional Japanese style. The ruins retain their original layout showing where buildings and defensive walls once stood, marked by informational panels explaining the former arrangement.
The fortress was built during the feudal period as a defensive stronghold for territorial control until it was partially destroyed in the late Meiji era. This transition marks how the site lost its strategic importance as Japan modernized and warfare changed.
The ruins reflect local building practices that shaped fortress design across the country over centuries. Walking through the grounds, you can sense how communities once organized defensive spaces according to their natural surroundings.
Access to the ruins follows marked hiking trails suitable for various fitness levels with clear directional markers along the path. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes and allow time to explore the different areas of the former fortification to appreciate the full layout.
The remaining stone walls display construction methods specific to Japanese castles using fitted stones stacked without mortar in interlocking patterns. This dry-stone technique allowed the fortress to withstand earthquakes, a critical advantage in this seismically active region.
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